Page 150 of Cougar

“I’m not leaving,” I insist, and Chris just shakes his head. “Eva, text Zach and let him know she’s waking up.”

* * *

“Hey, Em,” Lucas greets as he walks into the hospital room.

Jay’s head turns toward the door and her eyes light up. The severe bruising on her vocal cords combined with the soreness from the breathing tube has rendered her unable to speak, though my father says she’ll make a full recovery with some physical therapy and counseling.

Lucas bends down and kisses her gently on the forehead. “You doing okay?” he asks, softly.

Jay replies with a gentle nod.

Lucas turns to me. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.” I stand from the sofa. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Jay before following Lucas out into the hall.

“What’s up?” I ask once we’re alone.

He rubs the back of his neck, seeming agitated. “I’d like to read the email from Molly.”

I nod. “Okay. I’ll forward it to you.”

“All this bad shit keeps happening and… I don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready to reach out to her but I’m just curious, I guess.”

“Lucas, let me tell you what my mother used to tell us as kids. If you have something to say, then say it. If you want to know something, then ask. Don’t make assumptions. Life is too short for ‘would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.’ If you want something to happen, don’t wait for it. Make it happen.”

“I’ve always liked your mom.”

I snort a laugh. “She’s something.”

Emerson

The last couple of months have been rough. Zach moved into Harper’s old room, but he slept beside Jay almost every night. I couldn’t even tell him no, too happy to have the help. Then the nightmares started, so Zach and I took turns sleeping with Jay. When the nightmares became an every night occurrence, I ended up having to call Dr. Ramos to Heritage Bay. It took a few weeks, but things eventually got better.

Tonight we’re celebrating Zach’s nineteenth birthday at Oceanside Grill. After dinner, the server rolls out a giant cake, but before everyone starts to sing, Zach turns to Jay and asks her to instead. The bruising on Jay’s vocal chords healed, and over the last couple of months she’s been working with a physical therapist, Alex, and a voice coach to get her voice back to normal. Her eyes flick to me, and I give her a reassuring nod telling her she’s got this. She starts out a little shaky, but suddenly her determination kicks in and she nails it beautifully. Then the rest of us join in and sing “Happy Birthday” all over.

Jay excuses herself, and Zach escorts her out of the room. I turn to Elizabeth. “You raised an amazing kid. He’s been so strong and supportive. I can’t even begin to thank him for everything he’s done for Jay.”

Before Elizabeth has a chance to reply, my phone and several others ping with a Google alert.

Breaking News:Royal Mayhem’s new front man, Alex Reyes, is the love child of the late Marcus King.

“Shit,” I murmur. Pushing to my feet, I move to the corner and call my lawyer, Jack Reynolds. Alex and Evangeline are immediately at my side.

“This is Jack Reynolds. Leave me a message after the beep.”

“Jack, it’s Emerson. I need you to call me back immediately.”

“We need to get her out of here before someone opens their mouth,” Alex urges.

“This is Zach’s night. We can talk to her about it tomorrow,” I argue.

“The longer you put this off, the more pissed off she’s going to be,” Eva says.

“He was my father, too, and barely in my life before he was gone,” Alex barks out. “She’s all I have left, and I almost lost her, too.” He jabs his finger at me. “You’re not protecting her—you’re lying to her. You’re all lying to her.”

“You’re my brother?”

All three of us turn in shock to see Jay standing there with a pained expression on her face. Her chest is heaving, as if any minute she’s going to burst into tears. Evangeline gasps and covers her mouth.

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